by C M Dancha
"I'm sorry, Claudette. We're not going anywhere. She's put guards outside the office.
41
REVENGE
"Chairperson. I think I saw the prisoner remove a piece of paper from that maple box she got the other day. She read it and then put it in her mouth."
"Are you sure it came from the box?"
"I'm ninety percent sure, Chairperson. It happened so fast that—"
Evelyn shut off her micromic and began to run toward Sophia's holding cell, which was only fifty feet away. Along the way, she ordered a half dozen Lavenders to follow her. She hoped that she could get to Sophia before the bitch swallowed the evidence. Somehow, they’d missed finding the hidden message in the box.
As Chairperson Evelyn ran as fast as her fifty-something legs could carry her, Sophia chewed on the note she’d found in the secret drawer of the maple box. She had read it twice and committed it to memory.
She wasn't in the habit of eating paper, but this note from Rollie tasted particularly good.
It read. ‘My Dear Sophia: if you are reading this message then you remembered how to open the secret drawer and found the syringe taped to the inside. I wasn't pleased that you looked over my shoulder when I received Grandma LeeLee's maple box. But now, I'm grateful that you were a little sneak that night in my apartment. The syringe is filled with a death potion. It kills almost instantaneously. It was given to a good friend of mine by the World Council. His wife was dying a hideous death from cancer, but the World Council wouldn't provide the drugs needed to cure her because they rated her as a ‘non-essential’ citizen. They wanted him to give her the death potion, so she would die quickly. He loved his wife deeply. She died before he could muster the courage to do it. He kept the syringe and vowed to use it against the World Council one day. He gave it to me when he found out that I was sending you the maple box. His wish is that you use it if you can for revenge. Easton, Raul and the rest of us send you our love. Our thoughts are with you. Rollie.’
A small tear formed in the corner of Sophia's right eye and rolled down her cheek as Evelyn burst into the holding cell.
"Spit it out, bitch! You swallow that, and I'll rip your stomach open to get it."
Sophia stared at the crazed woman standing a mere ten feet away. She laughed silently to herself, wondering if she could spit the wad of paper into Evelyn's mouth the next time she opened it. Instead, she spit it out onto the floor two feet away.
"That's a good girl."
Evelyn stepped forward and bent over to retrieve what remained of the paper message. As she touched the wad, Sophia wrapped her fingers around the syringe from the secret drawer and leaped across the room. As she stuck it into Evelyn's shoulder, a blast gun severed her left arm. She didn't notice the pain immediately because she was too focused on making sure the entire death dose entered Evelyn's body. Another blast shot to the head ended her pain forever.
Both women slumped to the floor and died together.
42
CAUTION IN BERLIN
Date Hattori arrived in Berlin the day after Evelyn and Sophia died. Information about the double murder was kept secret by the Lavender High Command, but Helmer got word to Rollie before an information quarantine was placed over the Novy Afon Cave area.
Date was relieved that his syringe was finally used to enact revenge on the World Council. He would have been ecstatic had it not been for the loss of Rollie's close friend, Sophia. Half of his life's goals had been achieved. Now it was up to him to complete the other goal by fulfilling the command of his great lord.
A great deal of excitement filled the halls of Der Fuhrer's headquarters. Victories on the battlefield were becoming more frequent and a possible end to the war was in sight for the first time. Unless there was a major change of fortune, Gott would ascend to the highest level and rule the world.
Although his military commanders were celebrating the ultimate victory, Der Fuhrer was cautious and noncommittal about the good news from the battlefield. Regardless of the number of Lavenders surrendering and abandoning their positions, there was always the possibility that this was part of a grand scheme cooked up by Evelyn, whom Gott considered a competent adversary. She was known for her creativity and misdirection, and the thought that she was setting an elaborate trap for his troops was in the back of Gott's mind constantly.
There were continuous rumors swirling about regarding Evelyn's death. Gott's intelligence people intercepted numerous coded communications between World Council figures which alluded to her demise. Informants were streaming into Berlin daily, offering to sell the latest information on Evelyn. Gott was torn between what might be the truth versus opportunistic rumors. Her death could account for the poor battlefield performance by the Lavender army. On the other hand, it could also be part of an Evelyn scheme.
Der Fuhrer decided to move with caution. He wasn't taking any undue risks, especially after he viewed a World Council broadcast of Evelyn addressing her high command. Gott's intelligence officers confirmed that the speech had been given long after the rumors of her death started. What seemed odd to Gott and his intelligence people was Evelyn's physical appearance and speech delivery. Both seemed to be out of kilter, as though the entire thing was staged. If he didn't know better, Gott would have guessed that Evelyn was propped up at the podium and her speech lip-synced. The variance between her mouth movements and words was so noticeable that Gott commanded the electronics division of his Intelligence Bureau to analyze her speech to determine if it had been real or fabricated.
Date Hattori was set up in a modernized lab with a staff of two dozen scientists to develop an improved cloaking system. Rather than work by person, the improved cloaking system would shield anyone within an area of one hundred square miles. In the first five weeks, Hattori and his crew made significant strides in developing the new system. He figured that another month or two would be all he needed to complete the project.
The patriot group and Date communicated on a bi-weekly basis. The coded messages going back and forth were driving Gott's electronic eavesdropping people crazy. The coded language was something they’d never seen or heard before. No matter how much Gott complained, his best mathematicians and intelligence people were unable to decode the strange language. What none of them knew was that the coded language was taken from the Shawnee Indian tribe of colonial America. Easton learned the language from tribe members used as scouts during the Chickamauga Wars against the Cherokee Indians. Thankfully, Date had a propensity for languages and learned its use and nuances in a few days.
Date was getting antsy to meet Der Fuhrer. He had seen him at a distance once during a tour of the lab, but he was yet to have a personal audience with the Black Cross leader. He would have to bide his time to get close enough to kill Der Fuhrer. He knew how he would inflict the killing blow but when and where the death blow would happen was still a mystery.
Krieger was setting up his assassination of Gott not knowing that Alex was dead. He was given the responsibility of overseeing the cloning project, so he spent a great deal of time with Date. There was something he liked about the Asian. There was no question that the man was intelligent, but it was Date's confidence and determination that he admired more than anything. He was curious to know what this man believed and how far he would go to ensure his beliefs were enacted. Yet each time he tried to draw Date into a political discussion, the subject changed immediately.
43
SURPRISES AND GLUTTONY
When Date walked into the large reception hall wearing his 14th-century Samurai body armor, all conversations stopped. Every eye watched him walk to the reception line. The red and black uniform of his ancestors stood out from all the formal dresses and Black Cross uniforms in the room. Even Gott's pure white military uniform was no match for the Samurai war armor. Date knew that he was the center of attention. He proudly strutted across the room, displaying the swagger and confidence his ancestors were known for in ancient Japan.
"Mr. Hattori,
thank you for attending my gala tonight. And thank you very much for wearing the military uniform of your ancestors."
Der Fuhrer lightly grasped Date's left arm and maneuvered him so he could examine the body armor. He behaved like a boy examining a new toy. He touched the metal and leather, feeling the thickness and texture, then he analyzed how the armor protected a soldier's important organs. He couldn’t care less that the reception line had come to a standstill.
"May I try on the helmet, Mr. Hattori?"
Date rarely let others touch his treasured antiques, but in this case, he hoped that complying with his enemy might provide a dividend.
Gott brushed back his unruly hair which never seemed to be combed correctly and put the helmet on. He was a like a peacock, strutting around and showing off its colored plumage. Everyone in the room pretended to admire Der Fuhrer's head adornment. His puny mustache, washed-out skin and bulging eyes conflicted with the piece of war equipment designed for Asian features. To Date, the man looked ridiculous. He couldn't help thinking that dressing a dog in a tuxedo would look better.
Der Fuhrer handed the helmet back to Date. "Mr. Hattori, I have watched you practice with swords several times. Will you be practicing tomorrow in the fitness hall?"
Date was surprised to learn that Der Fuhrer had watched his practice sessions. He had never seen him in the fitness hall. Gott must have watched on the surveillance system which covered every inch of the Black Cross headquarters.
"I will be there after work. It's an effective way for me to relieve tension and stress."
"Good, I will be there also. I want you to teach me how to use the short and long swords which look quite impressive on your uniform tonight."
Date bowed respectfully in the traditional Samurai way and said, "It will be my honor, sir."
"Excellent. Mr. Krieger, will you put this on my calendar for tomorrow. Please don't let me forget."
Krieger, who stood next to Gott in the reception line immediately added the request to his superior's schedule.
Date spent the next two hours mingling with a group of people he had nothing in common with. If it hadn't been for Gott spending so much time with him in the reception line, he would have been ignored the entire night. But being singled out by Gott made him a center of attention and a minor celebrity. Fortunately, the other party guests were so single-minded and egotistic that all he had to do most of the night was smile and nod his head in agreement.
Over the next several weeks, Date taught Gott the basics of sword dueling. Rather than use an actual Samurai long sword called an Odachi, Date started Gott out with a wooden practice sword called a Bokken. The wood sword was made of Japanese white oak and was slightly less in length and weight compared to the real sword. What few people knew, other than Date, was that a wood training sword was just as lethal as the metal sword in the hands of a highly trained Samurai.
Even though Gott had an average athletic ability, he did have an extreme desire for excellence. His competitiveness and desire to master the skill of sword fighting was beyond question. Yet he would never become a good swordsman despite his eagerness to learn.
As the training continued, more and more of Gott's staff attended the training sessions. Gott seemed to thrive with an audience, which reacted with overzealous enthusiasm each time he made a good move, thrust or parry. On several occasions, Date made an intentional mistake allowing Gott to make a killing blow. This sent the crowd into frenzied applause and encouraging catcalls. Thankfully, the padding Date wore plus the correct use of defensive moves allowed him to absorb the force of the lethal blows without injury.
Date considered taking off Gott's head during a training session more than once. All he would have to do was tell Gott that they were going to use metal swords rather than the wood training swords. But for some reason, it didn't feel like the correct place or manner to kill the man. It wasn't that he feared the consequences. He knew that he would be blasted into oblivion by the bodyguards before Gott's head hit the practice mat. Something else was holding him back. It might have been the development of the new cloaking system. It was close to completion and it would be nice to see the final product operational before he joined his ancestors.
A week later, Date's team completed the new cloaking system. The only thing left to do was field test it in an actual battle. If the Black Cross soldiers could move with impunity on the field of battle without being picked off by blaster guns using the tracking device to home in on, then the team's new system would be classified a success. That night, Date's team, Krieger, Mr. Todd and high officials of the Black Cross were invited to a banquet to celebrate the completion of the new system.
The first of many toasts were given by Der Fuhrer. "Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to make a toast to our group of devoted Black Cross scientists who have created a cloaking device which will make kidney tracking by the Lavender Army obsolete. Our forces will now be able to overrun and defeat the World Council forces in short order. When we have taken out the last remnants of the World Council, we can begin the important job of reconstructing the world as we want it. Each of you are on the precipice of an exciting new era for mankind. And each of you will be rewarded for your contributions to my new world."
Gott held up his wine glass and said, "Let us all stand and drink to the Fourth Reich!"
Drinking and dining went on for the next four hours. Date had never seen such opulence, gluttony, or self-adulation. Other than himself, the only person at the table who seemed in complete control of his faculties was Gott's aide, Krieger. Date kept a close eye on Krieger, watching his body language and facial expressions. There was little doubt that Krieger hated most of the people in the dining hall, especially Der Fuhrer. At times, Date suspected he could see imaginary daggers flying through the air from Krieger's eyes to Der Fuhrer.
Near the end of the celebration, Gott turned his attention in Date's direction and said, "Mr. Hattori, please stand and grace us with a toast."
Date rose to his feet and waited for everyone to fill their wine glasses. He could tell that most of the celebrants were drunk by the amount of wine being spilled. A few of the more inebriated guests had been removed from the banquet hall, to vomit, or sleep off their drunkenness.
"I want to thank our leader, Der Fuhrer. Without this man, we would still be under the thumb of the despotic World Council. He is truly an inspiration and it will be difficult for me to leave and return to my homeland. But before we raise our glasses to this great man, I want to announce that Der Fuhrer has excelled in the next level of sword fighting and training. As a reward, I have a gift for you, Der Fuhrer."
Date reached below the table and removed an eighty-two-centimeter-long Odachi sword. He walked around the table and presented the sword to Gott. "Sir, may I humbly give you this gift in appreciation of your eagerness to learn the ways of my people and for being such a wonderful host. Tomorrow, with your approval, you will begin training with authentic Odachi swords."
Date raised his glass and drank. All the other guests followed suit and then congratulated Gott. Date faded away from the crowd surrounding Der Fuhrer and went back to his chair to watch the lemmings fawn over their leader. It was disgusting. He couldn't wait to get Gott on the practice mats and end this charade. This was a dangerous and evil man who must be stopped before the entire world paid a heavy price.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gott glanced over at his sword trainer and wondered what was really on his mind. He would give anything to know what the Japanese swordsman and scientist was thinking. The coded messages alone were enough reason to be suspicious of the Asian and keep him in Berlin. The man must be delusional to think that he would be allowed to leave and scurry back to whoever he was feeding information to about the Black Cross.
Gott retrieved his gift from the admiring crowd. He turned it over in his hand and withdrew the sword from its sheath. He couldn't help admiring such a beautiful piece of workmanship. But was the sword and unexpected promotion to the ne
xt level of training warranted, or a ruse in disguise? He would double his guards tomorrow and be very cautious training with real swords.
Gott and Krieger left the banquet a half hour later and let the guests continue celebrating long into the night.
As they walked the halls of the Black Cross headquarters building, Krieger took the opportunity to ask a question. "Der Fuhrer, do I have your permission to put together a team to rescue my friend, Alex?"
Gott stopped, turned toward Krieger and said, "Son, you can't rescue a dead person. That bitch was killed days ago." He turned and walked away, leaving Krieger in the dimly lit hallway. In the distance, Krieger could hear Der Fuhrer's sardonic laugh.
In that moment, he decided to launch his planned assassination the following day.
44
TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
"Mr. Todd, is it true that my friend Alex is dead?"
Krieger intercepted Todd before he entered the fitness hall to watch Der Fuhrer and Date Hattori joust with real Samurai swords. Krieger already knew the answer, but he wanted to see if the sleazy agent who’d stolen his family ring in return for dubious information about Alex's kidnapping would double-down on his lies.
"What? I have no idea what you're talking about."
Krieger's inner voice shouted, He's lying. He's a damn liar. He wanted to kill the scum standing in front of him but knew that doing so would disrupt his entire plan for the day. First, the main goal must be achieved. Then Krieger could pay back Todd for being a back-stabbing liar. "It doesn't matter, Mr. Todd. We better get into the hall and find a seat before all of them are taken."
